1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to golf clubs and, more particularly, to a golf club head having a configuration that enhances the accuracy of a golf shot.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are a variety of golf clubs types that a player may use in the course of a round of golf. The woods are the clubs that are generally used to shoot the ball over the longest distances, such as when the player is shooting the golf ball from the tee box. The irons are generally used to shoot the ball over intermediate distances, such as when the player is shooting the ball from a fairway or when the player is in the rough and nearer the green. Another type of club is the putter, which a player generally uses on the green where the hole is located to sink the ball into the hole.
There are also a variety of club designations within the general club types that are described above. For example, the woods can include the driver, which the player uses to shoot the ball the longest distance off the tee, and the fairway woods, which the player uses in the fairways and to shoot the ball shorter distances off the tee. The irons also include various designations, such as short irons, long irons, and wedges, each of which provide different characteristics in regard to hitting the golf ball. Moreover, depending on the player""s preferences, there are various overlaps in use and function of woods and irons, as well as overlaps within the clubs designations. For example, some players may prefer to hit a fairway wood off of the tee rather than a driver, while other players may prefer to hit an iron off of the tee. Some players may only use an iron in when hitting off of the rough while other players may prefer a fairway wood or a hybrid club that combines the characteristics of a wood and an iron. Given the variance in the skill levels and preferences of golfers, a bottom line rule is that there is no one club that every player would most likely use in a given situation. Even when the ball is locate in a sand bunker, a player might use a club other than a sand wedge depending on the distance to the green.
There is, however, one exception to this rule. Most golfers would likely agree that the putter should always be used when the golf ball is on the green. Unlike the irons and woods, which have a variety of uses, the sole purpose of a putter is to shoot the ball on the green into the hole. Consequently, unless a player sinks a ball in the hole from off the green, the putter is usually the only club in a player""s set that the player uses on every single hole in a round of golf. The success of player""s use of a putter thus has a great impact on the player""s overall success in a round of golf, more so than any other club in the player""s arsenal. There are various factors that impact the success of a player""s use of a putter, the factors including the player""s equipment (i.e., the putter itself) as well as the player""s putting technique.
In regard to equipment, golf club manufacturer""s have produced a variety of putter designs that are configured to increase the likelihood of a player having a successful putting game. For example, the putter described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,543, which is assigned to the same assignee as the present application, has weighting characteristics that are configured to improve the player""s putting. However, even where a player uses optimal equipment, other factors such as the player""s technique, distance to the hole, and the line of sight to the hole, will affect the putt.
Like many aspects of golf, the putting technique is relatively simple in theory, but difficult in practice. The basic idea of putting is to align the putter so that the strike face is perpendicular to the target and then strike the ball with the strike face so that so that the ball is propelled toward the target. When putting the ball, the player has to also take into account various factors, such as the contour and slope of the green and the distance to the hole. Even if the player hits the ball with the correct ball speed, the ball will not travel in the desired direction if the player does not correctly align the putter with the target. Proper alignment of the putter head with respect to the target can be difficult for many player""s even where the putting distance is short. As a result, a player that is using high-end equipment and that uses proper putting body mechanics may miss a putt simply because the putter head is not correctly aligned with the target.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a golf club head having a design configuration that takes into account the various factors that contribute to the success of a player""s golf game to increase the likelihood of a player successfully striking a golf ball, such as during a putt.
The present invention relates to a golf club having a golf club head with a channel on the head. The golf club head may be a putter-type club head that is used to putt the golf ball on a green. The use of the channel on the club head provides a mass distribution that results in a high moment of inertia so that the club head resists twisting in the player""s hand when the club head strikes a golf ball. The channel also assists a player in aligning the club head to strike a golf ball. The channel is preferably located on the upper face of the club head so that the player can see the channel when addressing a golf ball with the golf club. The channel extends from a front, strike face of the club head to a rear face of the club head and is preferably aligned with an axis that corresponds to the desired direction of travel of a golf ball that is struck with the club head. In one embodiment, the channel has a width that is greater than the diameter of a golf ball so that the ball can be framed by the channel.
In one aspect of the invention, a golf club head comprises a body having a front strike face configured to strike a golf ball and a back face that is generally opposed to the front strike face. The body further has a bottom surface and an opposed top surface, wherein a channel is located in the top surface of the club head. The channel extends from the front strike face to the back strike face such that the channel forms a first indentation in an upper region of the front strike face and a second indentation in an upper region of the back face of the club head.
In another aspect of the invention, the body of the golf club head includes plural segments that are attached together to collectively form the body. The plural segments include a heel segment that extends from the strike face to the back face. The heel segment is located in a heel region of the club head and is formed of a first material having a first density. The plural segments also include a toe segment that extends from the strike face to the back face and that is located in a toe region of the club head. The toe segment is formed of a second material having a second density. A center segment extends from the strike face to the back face and is located between the heel segment and the toe segment.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the center segment comprises an inner core, a shell surrounding the inner core, and an overmold surrounding the shell. A front face of the overmold forms at least a portion of the strike face of the club head.
Other features and advantages of the present invention should be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment, which illustrates, by way of example, the principles of the invention.